Family of Five
by Saffron Blade
Summary: A set of five drabbles from the point of the view of each of the members of SHINee about being family, being famous, being SHINee.


SHINee belongs to SM Entertainment.

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><p><strong>Family of Five<strong>

Sometimes he wishes he hadn't auditioned to be famous.

Every day is just another regurgitation of the same old crap. Photo shoots, interviews, appearances. Smiling, laughing, constantly singing and dancing, being a puppet.

Sometimes he hates being the baby.

They always want to know who takes care of him. They never ask if he is the one to pick up the pieces when Jonghyun-hyung broke down after being slaughtered for daring a having a relationship. They never ask if he is the one to do the groceries and manage the household while the others sweat themselves dry for the sake of their popularity. They never ask if he cries.

But more than anything, he hates that he is a slave to this popularity.

He hates that he loves being in the spotlight. He hates that he lives for the adrenaline that rushes through his veins. He hates how he soars with the voices of his hyungs and crashes every night when it's all over. He hates that he needs this to survive.

Sometimes he wishes he could just shut off his brain, because thinking about this stuff always seems to depress him. And if he's not smiling, then who will?

* * *

><p>He's finally sleeping.<p>

Kibum grins as he watches the baby of their family snore ungracefully on the countertop. The teenager looks more and more gangly each day and he wonders if that'll ever go away.

Carefully, he reaches over and closes the boy's notebook. It's filled with poems, lyrics, and everything in the boy's mind, and Kibum wonders if he'll take after Jonghyun-hyung and Onew-hyung, setting his lyrics to music and singing them aloud one day.

Placing the notebook away, he lifts the boy off the table, leaning him back against the vinyl seat.

Kibum hears a chuckle behind him and turns to grin at Minho. Together, they lift the boy up and carry him over to the bed where Jonghyun-hyung is sleeping.

Jonghyun-hyung cracks open an eye as they set Taemin down next to him and smiles sleepily before pulling the covers out from underneath him and onto Taemin. He waves at Kibum and Minho before throwing an arm over the boy and going back to sleep.

Kibum grins. He knows that Taemin will throw a fit when he wakes about being mature now, but he also knows, like everyone else, that Taemin never sleeps well on his own.

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><p>Jonghyun likes to cook.<p>

Sure he likes singing, dancing, and writing lyrics. But cooking is something special for him. It's the one thing that he's not selfish about.

Though he'd never admit it, Jonghyun sometimes feels selfish writing his own lyrics. He feels selfish making his hyung and dongsaengs sing them. He thinks it isn't fair for them to sing lines that he creates when he doesn't know how else to deal with the world.

So he cooks.

He knows that Onew-hyung loves chicken, but he also knows that Onew-hyung has a sweet tooth. He also knows that Taemin and Minho will eat anything, and that Kibum hates eggs.

So he always starts with rice. He likes his rice to be soft, so he adds more water than most people do. He also makes sure to set some tea to steep as he does so because he knows that Kibum will need it to function. He marinates the beef and sets the heat of the grill. He chops the radishes and the cucumbers, all while humming American R&B songs from the 90s.

He finishes setting the table as the others walk in and smiles as they see all their favorites.

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><p>Jinki hates being the eldest.<p>

He also hates radishes, though he doesn't hate them when Jonghyun makes Moo Saeng Chae. In fact, he usually has to fight with Taemin to get the last of it during breakfast, which usually ends badly for him because Taemin pouts and he always falls for that damn pout.

But Jinki loves his family.

He loves watching Jonghyun sing along to strange American songs. He loves teasing Key about his eccentric hair and fashion. He loves playing basketball with Minho and getting his ass handed to him. And he loves helping Taemin with his schoolwork.

He also loves being on stage. He loves singing with all his heart. He loves the fans and finds himself often floored by how much they seem to love him, even though he's nothing more than a face and a voice to them.

He also loves those moments of inspiration that hit in the middle of the night. He loves watching his ideas come together into beautiful symphonies. He loves losing himself in his art.

So even though his dongsaengs sometimes drive him crazy and he can't stand being responsibile, he soldiers on because he loves doing what he does.

* * *

><p>Minho has a secret.<p>

It's terrible, shocking, and utterly dumbfounding all at the same time.

Minho has stage fright.

He can't help it. Even after years of competing in various sports, whenever he has to be on camera and open his mouth for an interview or variety show, he can feel his stomach churning.

Jonghyun-hyung doesn't say anything but carries ginger pills for him. Onew-hyung always smiles and grabs him into a hug before they go onstage. Taemin promises to distract the MCs and Key manages to calm him down with a few well said words.

He never feels that way when they're performing.

When they're singing onstage, he forgets everything. All he knows is that he is the instrument and he channels music within to the world around him. All he can hear is the soft croon that's Taemin, the sparkling trill that's Key, the warm tenor that's Onew-hyung, and the powerful roar that's Jonghyun-hyung. The mike becomes a part of him and he doesn't know how he did without it. Together they rise and fall. They fill him up and he becomes indestructible. He runs, he jumps, he yells, he screams.

And with all of that, he's flying.

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><p>[Each drabble is two hundred words, counted by MS word. June 2nd, 2011]<p>

(A/N): I didn't post this here when I first wrote, but I figured why not? Personally, I'm falling in love with drabbles because it's such a challenge and so rewarding to put in all the emotion and yet keep it very short.

As for the guys, I was inspired by reading some stuff on at the Shinee_Replay community at LJ. Personally, I see them as a family so that's the big theme in all of this.

Let me know what you think!


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